Starting device for automobiles



May 6 1924. 1,492,918

A. M. BURGHER STARTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed March 22. 1922 2 SheetsSheet 1 WITNESSES l/Vl/ENTOR d 41,23 0 I W 2" L I v I ATTORNEYS May 6 1924.

A. M. BURGHER STARTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed March 22. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m N M U I- Patented May 6, 1924.

UNITED STATES iPArENT orrics.

ALBERT M. BURGHER, F DAYTON, OHIO.

STARTING DEVICE FOR AUTGMOBILES.

Application filed March 22, 1922. Serial No. 545,780.

To all whom it may 00mm:

Be it known that I, ALBERT M. BUnoHnn, a citizen of theUnited States, and a resident of Dayton, in the county of Mont More specifically, the invention has for an object to provide a starting assemblage making for durability and for convenience in assemhling and disassembling.

The nature oi'the invention and its distinguishing features and advantages will clearly appear as the description proceeds.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, it being understood that the drawings are merely illustrative of one example of the invention.

Figure 1-18 a plan View of an engine starter embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section thereof with the starting gear in the rearward or inoperative position; v

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the starting gear in the forward position in engagement with the engine flywheel;

Figures 4 and 5: are cross sections respectively on the lines l -4 and 5-5, Figure 3;

Figures 6 and 7 are cross sections on the lines f d and 7Z, Figure 2.

In the carrying out my invention in accordance with the illustrated example a suitable startin motor 10 is provided, here conventionally indicated as an electric niotor, the shaft 11 of which has an elongated starting sleeve 12 thereon, the forward end of said sleeve having a barrel gear 13 vadapted to engage teeth 14; on the flywheel 15.. The sleeve 12 has a housing shell 16 rigid therewith and spaced a material distones from the sleeve, the front end of said shell being in the form of a reduced neck 16 closely fitting the sleeve 12 and secured thereto in any suitable manner by a set screw, a depression 17 or the like.

The starting sleeve 12 has opposite spiral grooves 18 therein continuous with each; other, in which grooves are received pins 19 pro ecting radially inward from a rin 20 which is rigid with the forward end 0 a tubular element 21 provided for actuating said sleeve 12, said element 21 being driven by the shaft 11. The driving of the element 21 from the shaft 11 is indirect there being a cushioning coil spring 22 interposed, the inner end of said spring (see Figure 5) being pinned as at 22 to a hub 23 made fast to the motor shaft 11 by a transverse pin 11 or other suitable means. The outer end of the spring has driving engagement with the element 21, there being indicated for the purpose a projection 24 struck inward from the element 21 and engaging the adjacent end of the spring. The transverse pin 11 also secures a flanged collar 25 to the hub 23, the flange of which has cut-outs 26 (see Figure 4) in which extend stop pins 27 on the adj acent'end flange 21 of the sleeve actuating element 21. Th arrangement is such that the turning of the shaft will turn also the hub 23 and flanged collar 25, the spring 22 yielding to permit limited movement of the said shaft, hub and collar relatively to drive element 21, the tensioning oi the spring finally driving said element 21.

To make the ring 20 rigid with the drive end of element 21 for causing the two to turn in unison, said ring has longitudinal peripheral recesses '29 into which is depressed a plurality of members 28 on the element 21. The depressing 0rstriking inward of the members 28 causes the same to present external depressions 30 extending to the front end of the element 21 and these depressions 30 receive members 31 which are turned under and inwardly from the flange 32 of a cap ring 33 which is thus detachably,

hut firmly, fitted on the drive element 21 in front of the r ng 20. The flange 32 of ring 31 may he secured also by countersunk screws 33 to the element 21.

On the rear end 34 of the starting sleeve v12'are -forn'ied diametrically opoosite teeth or clutch elements 35 adapts when the sleeve is in the rearward position to engage inwardly projecting stop lips 36 on the tuhular actuating element 21 to arrest the ROI , movement of the sleeve 12 to engage the moouts 35 in the rear end of the ring 20, the

said cut-outs'135. forming diametrically opposite clutch elements 35 on said ring'20. The arrangement is such that upon the sleeve 12 reaching the limit of its forward movement the clutch elements 35 thereon will be received between the. clutch members 35 on ring 20 within the plane of said ring and adapted to be engaged by said ring elements for turning the sleeve 12 and thereby turning the. motor-flywheel 15. Thus,'it will be observed that there is an initial forward tor flywheel 15 before turning movement is imparted to said sleeve.

With a starting device constructed as described the motor 10 being in operation, the motor shaft 11, hub 23 and flanged collar 25 will turn and place the spring 22 under tension until edge surfaces ofthe collar 25 at the cut-outs 26 engage the stop pins 27 on I the actuating element 21, whereupon said element 21 will be turned. The turning of element 21 will, through the ring 20, rigid therewith, and the pins-19 on said ring,

cause the sleeve 12 to move forwardly by reason of the engagement of said pins 19 in the spiral groove 18 as will be obvious from the position of the parts in Figure 2. The sleeve 12 will continue to move forwardly until its barrel gear 13 meshes with the teeth 14 on the motor flywheel 15. The forward movement of sleeve 12 continues until the clutch elements 35 thereof engage the clutch elements 35 on ring 20, whereupon said sleeve will be turned by said ring 20 for turning over the motor.

When the flywheel 15 turns under the starting of the automobile motor, said flywheel instead of being driven by the sleeve 12 will now exert a driving action on said sleeve and the pins 19 having arrived at the rear end of the reverse spiral groove 18, will so engage the sleeve 12 as to cause a rearwardmovement thereof until the stop elements 35 on the rear end of the sleeve 12 engage the lips 36 on the actuating element 21. The rearward movement of the sleeve 12 under the action of the flywheel will antomatically disengage the barrel gear from the teeth 14 of the flywheel.

In order to retard the forward movement of the sleeve 12 I provide a brake means 'to act on the housing 16 which, as described, is rigid with said sleeve 12. It is to be noted that the housing 16 extends over the ring 33 and thus overlaps the element 21. The brake means in the preferred form comprises opposite pairs of'arms 38 loosely held on a stud pin 37 extending forwardly from the motor 10 and rigid with the casing 'of meagre the motor. The arms 38 are held on the pin 37 between washers 39, 40 and said arms carry at their free ends brake shoes 41 that bear against the housing 16 at opposite sides, said shoes being secured by pins 42. To give braking pressure to the shoes a spring 43 is coiled about the forward end of the pin' 37 between the pairs of arms 38 and their washers, the opposite ends 44 of the spring bearing against cross bars 38 joining the arms 38 of each pair.

The action of the brake shoes is to prevent racing of the sleeve 12 and its housing 16. The spring 22 obviously effects the starting and turning of the actuating element 21 without shock.

I would state in conclusion that while the if illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the exact details herein illustrated, since, manifestly, the same can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 7

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A motor starting device includin a driven shaft, an element adapted to e ect turning engagement with the motor to be started, said element having a spiral, an actuating element surrounding the first element, a drive shaft for turning the actuating element, pins on the actuating element engaging said spiral to advance the first ele ment by a turning of the actuating element, the spiral serving toreturn said first element when driven by the engaged mot-or,"and clutch means on thefirst element to engage the actuating element when the first element 7 turn said first element when driven by the engaged motor, and clutch means on the first element to engage the actuating element when the first element reaches the forward position; together with stop means on the actuating element to engage the clutch means of the first element when the first element reaches the rearward position.

3. A motor starting device including a drive shaft, an element adapted to have turning engagement with the motor to be started,

and having a spiral groove therein, an actuatin element driven from said shaft, a ring carried b said actuatin element and extending a out said first e ement, radial pins at the interior of said ring and extending into said spiral groove, and coacting clutch members on said first element at the rear end and on said ring for giving turning movement to the first element when it has reached the forward position.

4. A motor starter including an elemen adapted to have turning engagement with a motor to be started, a drive shaft, an element adapted to advance the first element and to turn the same when said first element reaches the forward position, and means to effect a cushion drive between said shaft and said actuating element, said means including a coil spring having connection at one end with the shaft and engagement at its outer end with said actuating element, a collar on said shaft presenting cut-outs, and pins on the actuating element extending into said cut-outs to be engaged by said collar when said spring is tensioned.

5. A motor starter including a drive shaft, an element sleeved on said shaft and adapted to have turning engagement with the motor to be started, a tubular actuating element in which the first element is adapted to telescope, means to advance the first element by the turning of the actuating element and to turn. the first element by the actuating element when the first element reaches the forward position, and means to drive said actuating element from said shaft; together with a housing carried by the first element and extending about the forward end of the actuating element.

6. A motor starter including a drive shaft, an element sleeved on said shaft and adapted to have turning engagement with the motor to be started, a tubular actuatingelement in whichthe first element-is adapted to 'teIescope, means to advance the first element by the turning of the actuating element and to turn the first element by the actuating eleifixed hub thereon,

ment when the first element reaches the forward position, and means to drive said actuating element from said shaft; together with a housing carried by the first el ment and extending about the forward end of the actuating element, brake shoes bearing against said housing, arms carrying said brake shoes, and spring means engaging said arms to press the brake shoes against the housing.

7. A motor starter including a drive shaft, a slidable sleeve thereon, a fixed sleeve overlapping said first sleeve, .a ring secured to the forward end of said fixed sleeve, means on said ring adapted to cause said first sleeve to slide on said shaft, and lugs at the rear end of said first mentioned sleeve ada ted to engage in slots formed in sai ring to cause said first-mentioned sleeve to rotate with the fixed sleeve and the shaft upon reaching the end of its forward movement. I

8. A motor starter including a shaft, a a sleeve surrounding said shaft and overlapping said hub, a spring member interposed between said sleeve and said hub to permit a limited movement of said hub and shaft relative to said sleeve, a slidable sleeve on said shaft, said slidable sleeve being formed with a spiral groove intermediate its ends and with gear teeth at one end thereof, a ring secured to the opposite end of said first-mentioned sleeve, a pin carried by said ring and projecting into said groove, saidteeth on the slidable sleeve being adapted to engage with teeth on the vflywheel of a motor to be started, and means at the rear end of said slidable sleeve to engage said ring when the teeth of said slidable sleeve mesh with the teeth of said fly-Wheel to cause said slidable sleeve to rotate with the shaft and the fixed sleeve.

ALBERT M. BURGHER. 

